Rahul Gandhi, Priyank Kharge
Credit: PTI photo
IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday played down reports that he “carried a message” from top Congress Rahul Gandhi and conveyed it to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar.
Priyank said he met Rahul to show him KEO (Knowledge-driven, Economical, Open-source), the AI-ready personal computer that was unveiled during the recent Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS).
“Rahul Gandhi was invited for the BTS, but he couldn’t make it. I had sought a meeting to show our AI personal computer,” Priyank said.
On the leadership issue, Priyank said the high command would decide. Asked about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah insisting on clarity from the high command, Priyank said, “When the time comes, they will do it. The confusion is in the BJP, media. It’s not there in Congress.”
Priyank said he briefed Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar about his meeting with Rahul and the party’s ‘vote chori’ campaign.
‘Buzz on Kharge as CM irrelevant’
Priyank described as “irrelevant” calls by some Congress leaders that his father, the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge should become the chief minister.
“Whenever elections happen here (in Karnataka), he’s in the CM race. Whenever Parliamentary elections happen, he’s in the PM race. Such discussions are irrelevant now,” Priyank said.
“Kharge himself has spoken on this matter earlier. There is no need to discuss and drag this subject on for long.” On Tuesday, Sugar Minister Shivananda Patil described Mallikarjun Kharge as the “most eligible person” for the CM’s post.
“I committed a mistake once by not voting for him,” Patil rued. Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters in Vijayapura on Wednesday that “everyone would accept” Kharge as the CM if the Congress high command decided.